SWS: Colorado II: Eddy McKean race notes

McKean Leaves Colorado on a High Note
JEROME, Idaho (August 4, 2005) Eddy McKean, the 2002 Southwest Series
champion, left Colorado this past weekend with his season set squarely in
the right direction after two top five performances that put...

McKean Leaves Colorado on a High Note

JEROME, Idaho (August 4, 2005) Eddy McKean, the 2002 Southwest Series
champion, left Colorado this past weekend with his season set squarely in
the right direction after two top five performances that put him in fourth
place in the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series standings.

McKean, known for his prowess on one-mile ovals, went to Pikes Peak Int'l
Raceway looking to continue his amazing string of success. McKean has scored
eleven top three finishes on the big tracks in his last twelve starts
including four wins.

The Wide World of Maps sponsored Pontiac qualified 20th at PPIR and McKean
and his crew would have to use pit strategy to turn the tables. Strategy is
what played out as he pitted early in the 150-lap event to work on the
setup. The pit stop proved to make the difference and he quickly moved his
way into five by the 100-lap mark. After pitting a second time with the
leaders, McKean was able to put his car in third where he finished the race.

The team then loaded up and drove up the highway to Colorado National
Speedway located just North of Denver. McKean has had good success at CNS
where he has captured three third place runs in the last five years.
Qualifying tenth but being the recipient of a ten-car invert, McKean stated
on the outside front row.

The race at CNS got off to a poor start for McKean as his car did not get up
to speed and he lost four positions dropping back to sixth. He quickly
recovered and by lap 40 he was in the lead. McKean would lead 52 laps before
surrendering the lead after the first caution.

McKean stayed in second for the next thirty laps but would drop back to
third where he ran comfortably over the closing laps. A final caution
bunched up the field on lap 145, and a caution is not what McKean wanted to
see. His car took several laps for the tires to come up to temperature and
that delay allowed Burney Lamar and Greg Pursley to get by as the white flag
flew in the 150-lap race. McKean settled for a fifth place finish at CNS,
but more importantly his finishes in Colorado allowed him to vault up into
fourth place in the standings with four races left to go.

"The races in Colorado went real well for us," McKean said. "We have gone
back to setups that worked for us in the past an we are doing a lot better.
Plus with Terry Henry on board, the cars are much faster right off the
trailer."

McKean is again proud to welcome Wide World of Maps of Phoenix, Ariz. on
board as associate sponsor for the rest of the season. The partnership paid
immediate dividends in past seasons as McKean has scored three victories
with Wide World of Maps on the hood. "We are having a pretty good year,"
McKean said. "Bob (Molner) has help us the past few seasons in several
races. When Wide World of Maps is on the car we do well!"

Next up for McKean Racing and the rest of the Southwest Series is a 150-lap
lap clash this Saturday night at Irwindale Speedway located just east of Los
Angeles, Calif. McKean has struggled at Irwindale picking up only one top
five finish in ten starts at the ultra-fast half-mile paved oval. Earlier
this season McKean finished ninth and he hopes to build on his current
momentum and pick up his first win at Irwindale.

McKean also carries sponsorship from several familiar names in the Southwest
Series garage area. Freightrain Peters Racing Engines, Naake Motorsports,
and his own company Magic Valley Pipe & Steel. "Without the help of Brad and
Mike, it would be difficult to find success in this very competitive
series," McKean said. "Brad (Peters) is at every race and ensures our
engines are top notch. Mike Naake does an incredible job setting up the
shocks for each event.

McKean enters his fifth fulltime season on the Southwest Series where he has
tallied five wins, 23 top five and 41 top ten finishes in 71 career starts.
McKean has also earned over $265,000 moving him into the top ten on the
all-time money list in four and a half short years on the series.